Exploring Life's Deep Questions Through Writing
- Jan 29
- 4 min read
“Great writing begins with great questions.” Allison Fallon in The Power of Writing It Down
I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions lately through my journaling- questions that beget questions that beget questions that I hope eventually bring me answers but usually lead me to the ultimate question- what does it mean to be human?
Maybe that’s why I write… to try to understand the human experience through a lens different from the one into which I was indoctrinated. I think I’ll be writing for quite a while with that topic at the center of my writing!
As a way to introduce this month’s Writing Prompt Journey focused on the theme of Self-Connection and Self-Love, I thought I’d share a snippet from my personal journal that shows my wrestling with the ideas of self-acceptance and self-love.
I apologized and said I would fix it.
They said, “There’s nothing to fix.”
But I still believe there is something to fix. Why is that?
Fixing things implies something is broken or in need of repair. Is that what I think of myself? My gut says, “Yes of course.” My brain says, “Maybe” but I know the answer should be, “No.”
All my life, I was taught I’m broken and in need of an external source to rescue me from the penalty of my sin and help me go to war against my flesh on the journey of sanctification on this side of eternal life.
In many ways, though I’ve left that faith, I’m realizing I still feel broken--all the time.
I snap at the children
I experience jealousy.
I feel anger.
I live out of fear instead of love more often than I desire to admit.
I still feel the ache for completeness and wholeness.
I am insecure, live boundary-less, and people-please.
I deeply desire to be seen and loved yet fear that if I was fully seen I could never be truly loved.
I write about helping women find their inner hero and though I’ve found mine at times, other times I think she goes into hiding. Sometimes I wonder if my hero is as independent as she is as a result of trauma instead because of her confidence self-trust and self-love.
I shrink back when I want to scream loud.
I scream loud when a gentler voice would be more effective.
I struggle to receive the love and kindness of others and want nothing more than to be loved completely.
I continue to carry wounds like a bruise that refuses to heal.
I limp on in life- still wearing the mask I said I’d never wear again - the “I’m okay” mask.
Is this the true condition of us all? - A constant wrestling to accept and love ourselves?
Perhaps that’s the question I’m asking is: What does it mean to be human and live in peace?
I don’t know.
I know I am weary of striving and not achieving the zen and peace I desire. I want to know I am enough as I am and I want to be enough for someone else as well.
The old answers to this timeless question no longer satisfy and so many of the “new” ones feel like old messages with new names.
Does it come down to self-love and self-acceptance for who I am now without a need or desire to change who I am? I’m beginning to think this is the answer.
Perhaps Socrates was correct when he said, “Know thyself- that is the beginning of wisdom”
And so I ask more questions and I write.
Today, I share February’s 28-Day Journaling Guide called “Self-Connection and Self-Love”- with prompts designed to guide you in discovering, embracing, and celebrating yourself more fully.
February is often considered the month of love—typically associated with romance.
But this month, let's turn that love inward.
Through self-knowledge and self-acceptance, we can cultivate a deeper sense of self-love.
I hope these prompts invite you into a deeper knowledge of yourself that leads to greater levels of self-acceptance and self-love
If you would like some encouragement to maintain a journaling practice, keep an eye out for upcoming Writing Circles - a time to gather online, discuss journaling as a tool for self-discovery, and write in silence together.
I will provide a writing prompt or two for inspiration (take it or leave it). There is no expectation that anyone will share their writing with the group, as this group is about writing to heal and what you write about may be deeply personal to you.
This is an opportunity to carve time out of your busy schedule, to sit in silence undistracted, connect inwardly through the gift of writing, and reflect with the group about the power of writing in each of our lives.
The next dates are: Friday, February 14th, and Friday, February 28th, 9:00-10:00 AM EST.
Come as you are with pen and paper….PJs, comfy clothes, and a hot beverage are encouraged! Add it to your calendar and join us!
(Oh, and be sure to subscribe to my email list so you don't miss a date or new writing prompts!)
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